All of this past
by Lilitha-Star
Summary: What is a Damphir? Why are they here? And why does D have a sudden reason to believe that Dunpeals are under attack? If they are, can he help them? Or will the price be to much to pay for one such as himself? Update when I get a review
1. The reality

Author's notes: This story is a re-write of a story that was started many years ago. It's based around an RPG event that took place with friends and my sister and is the story for those characters.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire hunter D (though I would like too) I do on the other hand own Selene (the character in this story and not the one in Underworld.)

Chapter 1: The reality.

The war that was so important to those who survived into the long reign of those from the night did not start the way they were told it did. Nor was it started for the reasons that they were originally presented with. They were told it was nuclear fallout between India and Pakistan...but this was not true. The real reason was much more simple, much closer to home and oh so much more predictable. And for those whom saw it coming and whom knew it was coming it was only that much more devastating when it happened.

A computer failure...this is what caused the war. Or more the fail safe on the computer doing what it was programmed to do when threatened. It killed indiscriminate of race, colour, sex, disabilities or any other difference humans can calculate or think of. It did what the human race had programmed it to do and it did it well, a little too well for many people's liking, and all because they had to have one large master computer to run their special 'science' complex.

The computer that started (and some would say ended) it all was housed deep below the ground in an experimental 'hive', a fully functional fully working city, with houses, commuters and other everyday occurrences that wouldn't seem necessary in a 'science' world, in truth they were necessary for the darker propose of the facility. Genetic engineering subjects where taken from the local populous.

This city was the city of Acura and it belonged to a major company that ran shops in almost every city across the world. There where many good points to this forsaken underground. The scientists there created many wonderful and often important discoveries deep within the bowels of mother earth. The cures for AIDS and cancer where some of the most prominent and notable discoveries that the company claimed to have been working on for years, but other things where also made...with a much darker intent.

War machines, biological weapons, Deadly viruses, anti viruses, genetic modifications and even human tests where some of the atrocities of the lower levels of the city, kept hidden from both the 'upper' tiers and the world above. Test subjects that went wrong or that where irreversibly damaged where either destroyed or 'hired out' to rich people for gladiatorial fights...but some just refused to die...until killed correctly.

Those that could only be killed by weapons through the hearts and sunlight where studied and the world learned of vampires. Their bodies being more resilient than humans they where instantly taken up as test subjects, Dunpeals where a firm favourite with those who studied such beings, a perfect blend of both vampire resilience and human docility. Still they retained a feeling that they where more human than monster and demanded human 'rights'.

Yes they where the best to test on but they where the hardest to catch so of course...a breeding program was set up. Vampires where easy to catch because of their brashness and arrogance, still major predators and believing no human had known of their existence. Many Dunpeals where bred...and many died. Although vampires where strong they where not suitable for the test the scientist wished to do because they where not human enough. And Dunpeals had too many flaws...enough to amaze even the most appraising scientist. So they decided to create their own half-breeds.

The scientists in charge of the project wondered at what they would create if vampires bred with Dunpeals. Would it even work? So in order to find out they set about capturing a set of specimens they believed would be up to the task. One was a Dunpeal daughter of the most powerful vampire in the city at the time. Upon acquiring the perfect mother for their subject they sent a team of hunters to the surface to capture a mate. They brought back a vampire as promised and a child was soon on the way. While the child was still lying warm and protected in its mothers womb it was infected with viruses, mutates and other things to see how it would react. Sadly neither of the parents survived once the child was born.

The child that was born was a girl, and she grew to the age of five never seeing her parents or the sky. She was trained to kill and survive. On her sixth birthday they took her above ground for the first time to see what they had truly created. After days of study they found that she could withstand the dreaded heat syndrome that had driven so many Dunpeals to their deaths. A down side was that she was physically weaker than them by far but their psychic abilities far outweighed this small set back. She was capable, when angered, of hurling a fully grown man across a room without ever having to touch them.

But for all of the powers this new species had they had many terrible and devastating weaknesses. At times when they where wounded or scared their bloodlust became insatiable leading to the deaths of several tamers. Even when not hurt she need to be fed blood once a month or else her body started to destroy itself. Her mental capabilities, although great, meant that her sanity was forever in a deeply questionable state. She would go through stages where killing a person for fun was a hobby and then there where the phases of self harming. The worse side effect by far was the one that no one could really ever control. The DNA of whomever she had fed off would lend itself to her body causing mutations in her form and her behaviour.

Even though to the scientist she was a failure and a considerable threat the company thought of her as an effective (if not efficient) scare and destroy war weapon. In a meeting hall somewhere above ground voices would talk of their newest species. "Consider a creature that even vampires are afraid of. Consider the effect that would have on an enemy army. "

"But there are problems with your specimen, problems that might cause problems in our own armies...such as her bloodlust."

"But also think about that aspect of her nature. You could use that on the enemy...a terror weapon if you will." A voice would say quickly followed by applause and then an eerie silence.

"What type of creature is she?" a frightened feminine voice would ask.

"She is a Dunpeal of course," says the man standing proudly on the stage.

"No she can not be," one of the scientists present overrules. "She is more a vampire than she is human...a completely new sub-species if you will. I believe she is called a Damphir. Yes that is a word more fitting and dignified in nature for such a creature. "

Year followed and more species like this young girl where created. But it became apparent as time went on that only the females of such unions survived especially with their more than added extras. Eventually ten of them existed and more where on the way...but the computer decided to start the war.

When all had settled down the Damphirs where the only ones left alive in Acura, the eldest was now eighteen and she lead her small band of survivors into the land of the living, a land that was dying.

Author's notes: Ok here's the re-write of the first chapter. Yes I know it doesn't have much to do with Vampire hunter D just yet but be patience he comes in soon. Anyway the last part of this story that will be finished before 2007 so enjoy.


	2. Here I go again

Author's notes: Thank you for the review and I will be looking at your stories soon wink. Anyway thanks again for your kind words and I am glad to say that here is another chapter.

Disclaimer: I only own my girl at the moment, I don't own vampire hunter d, the song All of this Past or even some of the names of the evil people in the story…though they are my own characters. Anyway enjoy.

Chapter 2: Here I go again.

A woman of 25 sat with her long legs slung across a desk of mahogany in front of her. She rocked back slightly on a chair that was minimalist, her hands dangled at her sides while her head rested on her chest. For all anyone who saw her knew she could be asleep. Her breathing was even and soft, barely distinguishable against the hum of the air con. She seemed to be one of the few people that would be easy to kill.

Of course that was what D thought as he entered the room she rested in, even though the uneasiness in him was growing. Outside were a receptionist desk and a coffee machine. Everything looked like it had been used recently and was in clean, working order. He felt uneasy about the fact that this place looked the way it did. Even if he was being paid 50 million to kill this woman his mind was screaming that something was wrong. This place didn't seem as deserted as it was claimed to be. He sighed, releasing pressure from his spine, and approached the desk while glancing wearily around the room.

To his left and on the right hand side of the door was a large bookcase. The books were placed neatly on the shelves and were in alphabetical order…not something a rogue creature would do. No dust had settled there either. The books were either well used or were well cared for, either was a very uncomforting thought to this tall stranger. In the middle of the six shelves of book there was a seventh. This one lacked any form of books or journals but a long, slender, delicate sword.

As D examined the weapon he realised that there were conflicting messages coming from the item. The blade was slender and much like a rapiers blade, signifying a woman's blade, but it was longer than normal and had a wider base towards the hilt. That marked it as a male's sword. The blade was of a folded metal which D could not distinguish but the shape of it was much like that of a samurai's sword. Along the shaft there was strange writing engraved into it, and then filled with gold. It glittered unnaturally against the light around it. This sword had wards written all over it causing that unnatural glow and the hunter intended not to lose his life from the slightest touch.

The hilt was also much like a rapier's covering the hand (if you chose to grab it) with protection from other on-coming slash attacks. The part that covered the hand was covered in dragons, angles and demons all fighting though it looked like they were dancing. Upon the cross piece were two out stretched wings also symbolising that it was for use by a man, but the actual covering was too small even for a slender dunpeal to slide his hand into.

Across the handle was gold filigree embedded in an amber hand piece. The sword was a two handed weapon and had a pure platinum bead plastered between both of the hand pieces. At the pommel there was a strange emblem carved out of a small chunk of gold. It was a winged serpent, a wyvern, wrapped around itself with its tail gliding down the handle. This sword belonged to a powerful family and proved that the woman he was about to kill was the right one.

He was glad of that for he could see that he wasn't about to slaughter a poor farm girl who had come in out of the cold. He kept his eyes on the room…he was also being paid to find anything of value and report. He couldn't really understand why he was doing this sort of thing now, before he killed her, but it felt right somehow…sunset wasn't for another six hours yet.

Next to the bookcase was a large mahogany corner cupboard with a glass front to the small door. The upper half of the cabinet held dragon statues of many colours, amulets of strange, exotic origins and an old musky teddy bear. At one time this small trinket had been pure and white, now it was a mockery of its former self. Even if it was a sickly looking thing it had been loved well. Who ever that bears had belonged to had left their mark on it. There was room between the toys neck and its arms to prove that someone had hugged it too death. Its small black beady eyes stared out at D on an angle and the small brown thread mouth gave him a saddening smile. It had been years since that toy had been held by anyone.

Next to the corner cupboard was a wide cabinet taking up almost one side of the room. It held glasses, tumblers, tankards and more than two bottles of wine and, did his eyes deceive him, Baileys? It would have been a perfect place to relax and to have shared a good laugh with some friends…if he wasn't on the job, and of course if he had any such thing as friends.

The only other things in the room were the woman and her desk. She hadn't seemed to move though her face had lolled to one side and was now tilted towards him. It was strange that she hadn't heard him moving around. Then again when a vampire was asleep nothing but true death would awaken them. He smiled and looked her over appreciatively.

She was probably around 6' 4'' with out the heels that she was wearing. Her face was peaceful in dream sleep as if nothing would ever bother her. The innocence of a child is something most vampires can not pull off but she was doing well. Her skin was pale almost white despite all that she had probably killed. It was strange that she wasn't of a dead blue hue that most of the undead possessed. In fact if he didn't know any better he would say she looked like an ill human that was tired and had just fallen asleep.

Gentle loops of dark, chocolate brown hair (much like the colour his was) fell across her perfectly sculpted cheeks and nose. Her chin was sharp and refined but with the hair the way it was she didn't look like she was razor sharp. Her lips were very feminine, small, delicate and as red and as dark as any rose. Her eyes were closed so D could not see what colour they were. He could only speculate on that. They had long gentle eyelashes curling up towards her forehead. They weren't as long as some women's but they would probably make her look very attractive. Across her lids she had dusted some purple eye shadow. Slim neat eyebrows were raised and curved in the signs of sleep. Her ears were slightly pointed and signified that she was either a vampire or a dunpeal.

Her body was slender and stream-lined as if she had been fashioned to run and catch her prey. This was something most vampires did not have. Her skin moved over well toned muscles that told D of her true strength. Her hands were truly those of a woman's. Small and delicate with long fingers and lengthy nails. He knew better than to fob this girls nails off as fake…they could probably sever his major arteries. He could see the fine sheen to them as he stood a foot or so away, this signalled that they were as sharp as steel. They were filed to a slightly rounded point and were white, as if she had painted nail varnish across them. Something told the hunter that she hadn't used any suck beauty product and this irked him. Why was she so strange if she was just another vampire?

She was wearing clothing much like his. A black bodysuit covered in tight leather armour. It accentuated all her curves and feminine wiles. Along the rim of each lacquered black piece of armour was a thin strip of silver. The outfit was so much like his that he wondered, humanly, if they had ever gone to the same tailor. Her boots were long, up to her knees, and were like black patent leather that had been scuffed a bit. The heels were about three inches high and sharp as if they could do some major damage if enough force was put behind them.

She wore very little jewellery for a woman. Around her neck she wore a simple thin chain of silver clasped behind the back of her neck. On the pendant was a minimalist style wyvern just like the one on the end of the sword across the room from her. On each hand she wore a ring. The one on her left hand was white gold with a small oriental dragon carved in black across the band. The other was silver with a small diamond embedded in it surrounded by emerald. On her left ear she wore a small wyvern earring but on her right….

Her right ear held a strange ornament. Her lower earlobe was pierced twice, and her cartilage at the top of her ear. The cartilage piercing and second lobe were joined by a string of coloured beads that were strangely muted so as not to clash with her clothes. On her final piercing on that ear a string of beads ran straight down, beads gently glittering and after the last one a stream of faintly glowing silver thread. If it had been on anyone else it would have looked gaudy but against this creatures slender neck it looked delicate and enchanting.

D frowned as he drew a rough dagger from his belt. There was no room here for him to draw his sword and swing so he placed the dagger roughly over her heart and raised it to a suitable height. What happened next happened so quickly that his mind had barely registered anything… As his hand plunged down towards the creatures chest and her hopeful demise her hand rushed up and grabbed his wrist in a bone crushing grip. A vampire would never have been able to hear the movement of the blade while it was still light. She had moved faster than quick silver and had amazed him with her strength…the sun was still up. He felt the pressure increase and heard the crunch as his armour started to crack involuntarily. He looked towards the window behind her and slid open the curtain. Sun spilled onto the vampire…

…Yet nothing happened. No fire, no bright sparks nothing but the slight groan from the body that held his wrist. He looked down towards the woman and saw an unnaturally coloured eye staring back at him. They were a bright icy blue flecked with fiery silver lacing over and around the pupil. The darkness of the pupils was shaped like those of a cat. It followed his movements with unerring accuracy.

"You know I didn't think it was polite to attack a woman in her home." Her voice was low, soft almost like a purr of a contented cat.

"I do believe that you are the one that is impolite." D replied in an impassive tone. Her other eye opened and both narrowed at him.

"And who told you that? In fact what are my crimes?" She reached up with her other hand and ran her fingers a group of muscles in his wrist. It triggered him to let go of his blade. As it slid from his grip the same hand caught the knife. She tossed his wrist to the side with mild disinterest. It sent him backwards enough for her to rise. Her eyes were still half lidded but this time they were not in defiance but that sort of lazy look a cat gets when it is warm and contented.

"You have settled here against the villagers will and I have been hired to remove you." Her eyebrows arched gently at this.

"They have not objected for over 30 years. Who paid you hunter?" She crossed her arms but kept that odd look on her face.

"A rather rich man…I don't need to disclose my client's names."

"Hmmm…but I know…" she took a step forward, "Who you speak of." She smiled a cruel grin and flashed her canines.

"You say you have lived here for 30 years?" a curt nod answered him. "But I have looked at the murder cases in this area and none of them state 'death by vampire'." She laughed then. It was a high mirthless sound as if she found what he had just said offensive.

"What do you mean by vampire? Now that is an insult I haven't heard in a while." The edge in her voice was sharp, cutting in the cool of the room. Her eyes met his and he saw an emotion that very few vampires have in their eyes…despair. "I swear I'll kill the bastard for this!" She turned away from him towards the door. "So how much was Mr. Brandywine willing to pay…to kill me?" D regretted being unable to draw his sword at the sound of her voice, he would be able to kill her if only he could. She walked over towards her sword and lifted it gently from its resting place.

"And how do you know my client?"

"I've lived here long enough." She pulled a plain tattered sheath from on top of the books and slid the sword in with a fine metal sound.

"Then you know why he wants me to kill you."

"In all honesty I don't." she attached her weapon to her belt and opened the door that lead into the hall, "He has been trying too hard to get me killed recently…way too hard." She stepped out into the hall and held the door open for him. "Did he give you any ultimatums?"

"Pardon?" he asked thinking over what had happened and what was about too. The woman now stood leaning against the reception desk her brilliant blue eyes glowing in the slightly darkened hallway. There was enough room for a duel here.

"Did he say you had to bring me back dead or alive?"

"Either…though he preferred dead." A grin crossed her face then that made his skin crawl…it was the look of a hunter.

"I have a plan…though I will need your help." D felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth but would not let it hold. She seemed to withdraw then, the light playing across her eyes making her at once suspicious of him. She kept her distance but moved towards the door. "On second thoughts you should remain here."

"I have no reason to stay here and you," he drew his sword and pointed it at her, "shall not leave unless I have completed my job." She smiled and stepped forward towards the sword, its point now a mere few centimetres from her neck.

"I've heard that a person should never come between a hunter and his prey…" she flashed her fangs, "But what happens when the prey fights back?"

"They die." He replied leaning forward fully expecting the blade to pierce soft flesh.

He blinked as he moved and she had vanished. He stopped confused and bewildered at how fast she could move…if she had. A hand touched his shoulder moving him slightly so that he was looking down her sword blade. "I have no more time for pleasantries dunpeal." She slid the blade under his chin and rested it against his artery. "Now I suggest if you wish to live that you answer my questions." D nodded slightly letting a smile grace his lips.

"How do you know I am a Dunpeal?"

"Simple," she replied coolly running her left hand down his arm to grasp his sword hilt, "You walk in daylight…no vampire can do that." He nodded letting the handle of is sword slide from his fingers as she rested her hands just over his. She held it there for a second making sure he had let go then drew it too her side.

"That is very true." He sighed titling his head to face her, "But what are you? Aren't you a dunpeal too…the sun does not harm you after all."

"I am…" she smiled letting his sword drop to the floor, "Complicated."

"Tell me, how do you know my client?"

"Mr Brandywine? He is a pompous arse that I have had to deal with too often in the past ten years."

"Why only ten?"

"He had finally inherited his fathers industry after his death. He owed me money."

"That is not a good enough reason to send a hunter after you…"

"I defend this place!" she cut him off with a stern but sad lilt to her voice.

"How can you, you have not lived here that long."

"Haven't you been listening to anything I have just said?" he shook his head and laughed. "He spun you a tail didn't he?"

"My client told me you would lie. You came to the village only a week ago and started to attack…other villagers around the area." Her eyes narrowed and took on a frightening luminance, "Now the villagers are terrified of you."

"Have you asked them?" she sighed and shook her head at the look that crossed his face, "No I suppose you haven't. It's not in a hunter's routine to do that is it?" She shrugged and took a step back but kept her sword towards him ready to strike if he moved.

"What are you going to do?" D asked his voice void of emotion and his body still as an animal waiting to pounce for his sword.

"I am going to do something I should have done a long time ago." She could see him glance down at his sword. A child like grin swept across her pretty face. She then placed her foot under the hilt and flipped it upwards so she could catch it in her left hand.

It was a fluid movement that was so graceful it almost took D's breath away. She was fast and soon her lily white hands held the hilt of his sword as she drew away towards the door. "If I kill him…" she asked quietly, "Would you still hunt me?"

"I am not a killer of dunpeals…"

"Selene," she whispered, walking towards the door, "And I am not a dunpeal." She was now by the door to the lobby. She smiled and bowed low. "I'll see you later…"

"D," he nodded and held his hand out for his sword. She grinned and threw it into the wall just behind him. It embedded its self into the green plaster of the reception wall.

"We will talk later D," Selene smiled, "But for now I have to go after Mr Brandywine…again!"

Author's notes: Ok that was a long chapter but I needed to set the scene sorry.


	3. Sliping further away

Author's notes: This is a re-write of the original chapter 3. Why because I hated chapter 3 enough that one day after reading it I decided to start writing a draft of it at work. Ok so here is the re-write.

Chapter 3: Slipping further away.

Selene walked head held high though her thoughts where in complete turmoil. Yet another hunter sent to kill her by the same person…could the problem still be that he owed her a large sum of money. Was it still true that the debts of the father where carried onto the son? Could that be the reason for the hunters? Selene didn't think so as he would possibly be paying them at least what he owed her.

She moved swiftly through the large garden, through the shadows as if she where a common thief. She caught herself in the act and angrily reprimanded herself. "Why hide in your own home?" she snarled at the blue sky above, "There should be nothing you fear here!" Sadly there was, it was sitting in her reception area. His name was D and she feared him even if it was only out of common courtesy to those like her self. Though probably he thought otherwise from the way she had acted.

Checking herself from her thoughts she found herself to be standing under the willow trees outside her stables. Looking up she inhaled the fresh air blowing freely around her. For a moment she thought she would reach up to the sky and dance away her worries, but then she caught sight of the eastern most part of the large manor.

The place where the meeting hall once stood was now a mess of debris and wreckage, a harsh reminder of the last hunter to come to try and finish her off, many where hurt, more dead and all had been avenged…partially. She still had yet to talk with the person responsible. The hunter's body hung suspended from the rafters that were left, raven's feasting on his eyes and his mouth fixed into a permanent grin. He had been one very demented hunter and unlike the first had tried to not only kill her but those around her. She was not overly disappointed in his death as she had been with the first. In fact her friends and co-workers had grabbed her so she would not dismantle him while he was still alive.

Anger mixed with hatred flared through her heart as she narrowed her eyes at the grinning corpse. "I'll get you for this!" Now her strides where with purpose and intent, she moved down the path and an aura of violence followed an aura that made the denizens of the building ahead of her start and kick. She entered the stables and everything fell quiet.

As she passed the stalls panicked brown eyes peered out from the backs where the occupants cowered. All accept the horse at the very back of the stables. It was hard to actually call this creature a horse though, for although it had the shape and form it's looks and manners where not of one. It seemed almost pleased to see her, or perhaps it was the prospect of violence, it was hard to tell.

The horse was very large for an animal of its kind standing at 18 hands. It was considered amazing that Selene could even get onto its back let alone ride it. It was a male and his name was Isatsis, meaning slender one, which he was for his height. He was a black creature that held a high sheen to his coat even in the dim light of the stables. One cloven hoof poured the ground angrily as his large nostrils flared at the sent of his mistress. Large bright green eyes watched her approach with cold calculation. Three sharp horns grew from his muzzle atop a white star down his nose. His long black tail and mane seemed to move of their own accord.

She came to a stop just outside his stall, the two stared at each other and Selene smiled. You know I think I'm going to have to take you as my backup today." Isatsis snorted at her and poured the ground even more frantically than before. "You approve I see." He tossed his head and whinnied at her. Selene nodded at her horse and he returned the gesture to the retreating form of her back. She pulled open the flimsy door into the cramped tack room and wrinkled her nose in disgust. Some one had not cleaned their leather properly recently. It appalled her that someone could treat such important pieces of equipment with so much ignorance.

Taking off her sword she placed it on a bale of hay and looked over at the wall full of saddles. Each piece was perched on two poles of worn steel holding them up. Above each saddle there where name plates for each of the horses outside in their stalls. Taking a cursory glance over them to try and find which one was giving off the offending stench she approached the wall. Isatsis' saddle was right in the middle at her eye level.

"Why did I put that there?" she asked herself as she stretched upwards to grab the saddle, 2the heaviest piece of tack and I have to try not to drop it every time I go riding! Damn it!" Selene dropped the saddle to the floor and glared at one of the metal poles. It was damaged about a third of the way down the pipe and it had cut a nice line down her thumb. It looked like it had been bitten out.

Selene dropped to her knees and studied the saddle carefully. On the underside there were no obvious marks or signs of sabotage but still it worried her that something she prided herself on could be damaged in such a way. Shrugging she brought down the bridle and scooped all of her things into her arms and left the dingy little room. She was unaware of a pair of red eyes watching her from underneath a darkened table.

Selene spent only ten minutes getting her faithful steed ready and during this time she managed to calm down. The other horses, cyborg or organic, had settled down and where finally back to their usual routine. Some of them kicked their food bowls; others snorted and whinnied at each other as if in some deep conversation. By the time Selene was done she wasn't even sure if she would be able to face Mr. Brandywine with her self righteous anger. Still there was always her hatred if she really needed to fall back on something. "A last resort." She said out loud. Isatsis poured the ground in agreement.

D sat in a chair that he had acquired beneath the place where his sword rested. Occasionally he would look up at the weapon lodged in the wall above him. No emotion was on his beautiful features but a mild look of amusement. The light poured in through the large French windows leaving nowhere for him to hide from the suns vengeance.

"Did she know that sunlight is bad for dunpeals?" A whispery voice asked. To any observer it appeared that the voice had come from nowhere as the youth sitting on his chair had not stirred once.

"She knows." He replied.

"Then why have you sat in this room with so much sunlight in it?" D slowly uncurled his left hand and stared at his left hand. A small repugnant little face formed in the folds of the flesh and returned the stare with small black beady eyes.

"She does not expect us to stay here."

"What do you mean? She expects you to just leave without your sword? She's got some…"

"She thinks we will take refugee in her office."

"Why would we want to go in there it's rather pompous if you ask me."

"She believes in survival first and foremost and thinks that I will do the same thing." He lifted his head up to look at his sword, "Either that or she wants me to be here when I get back."

"What makes you say that?" the small face said scrunching up its features. In reply D reached up and wrapped one slender hand around the handle of the sword and flexed his muscles.

"I can't move it," was the simple reply.

"You can…you're at the wrong angle that's all."

"Heat syndrome…" was the only words the hand received, "she knew I wouldn't be able to move it…I need to rest." D stood and walked towards the door to Selene's office.

Meanwhile the young woman who's office had just been invaded by the hunter was seated on the back of Isatsis and riding like there was no tomorrow. She had a dull look of determination on her face that forced some of the more wary of the townsfolk to stay away from the frantic rider. In her own mind she was in a rush, though she was unsure as to why. There was something nagging at the back of her mind, something really important that she couldn't remember. She was sure it had something to do with the house and wanted to get this confrontation over urgently. Suddenly a thought hit her straight between the eyes and she pulled on the reins hard.

Dust flew up around the horse and rider as they stopped so sharply on the road. Selene clung to Isatsis with her knees, one hand gripped the saddle and the other held the bridge of her nose as if she was having a nose bled…which she had no doubt she was about to. "Damn it not again!"

"Do you need help miss?" A rather pleasant, friendly voice asked her. She lifted her head from her pain filled reverie and smiled.

"Good morning John." She let a smile show for her favourite person in the village, "How's your daughter doing?"

"She's fine, had a fine healthy boy the other day." The man walked up to her and patted Isatsis softly on his behind. John was the oldest resident farmer in the village and enjoyed the help of the great horse every harvest. His face was worn and very brown from working long days under the boiling sun. Deep wrinkles lined his face and hands making his skin seem like tanned leather. Bright blue eyes full of mischief and youth sat in that old face giving him lively and lovable features. Currently his sandy brown hair was tucked under a low tweed cap.

"Do you have any idea where your boss is?" she asked pulling back on her horses head to stop it munching on the fresh grass next to the road.

"He's up at the old ware house."

"The abandoned one," John nodded to her and she wheel Isatsis round facing back the way they had come, "Thanks John." She said before speeding off towards that little area very rarely visited.

The locals where absolutely terrified of the old warehouse it wasn't well know what had started the fear or what had caused the workers to leave but it was a disliked place. In the 50 years since the place had become closed to legal business other less savoury things had started to go on there. Drug dealers, prostitutes and people wishing to meet with others to make plans to 'remove' those in power where there…all only after nightfall. Even that recently had teetered out of the past few months. Now it seemed everyone was afraid to go anywhere near the place. Except for her prey it seemed. Was this where he had been meeting all the hunters he sent after her?

Selene pulled up Isatsis next to another horse that was attached to the only tethering pole in the area. A quick cursory glance made her think that this animal belonged to the hunter sitting back at the mansion. It lifted its head as she walked past, its mouth moving in the motions of eating. She patted it playfully between the ears and said "You're a pretty one," before moving off to the large metal door. Warily she eased it open. Darkness descended upon her and a fearful scream was torn from her throat, a cloud blacker than the darkness surrounding it fell upon her and she tumbled to the floor her mouth open in a silent scream. For all the pain she felt she was fully aware that her soul was slipping from her body. With one final cry the void of unconsciousness fell upon her.

Author's notes: Ok I was bored and wanted it finished. Please enjoy and I hope to be writing more now that I have more of an incentive. Enjoy and R&R if you get the chance.


	4. Letting go again

Author's notes: it's been a really long while since I wrote something that was new for this story. So here it is…chapter 4!

Chapter 4: Letting go again

Selene woke with a start as the sun dipped below the horizon and true dark fell. Her head ached with the laughter of thousands of demons though there where none but her own with her right now. She dug her nails into her hands until she felt the sharp sting of pain and could smell the blood. To her sensitive nose it was more than there should have been. Shaking her head angrily she pulled herself up onto her hands and knees, her head down and eyes shut tightly closed to fight of the feeling of nausea. When she no longer felt the need to bring up her stomach contents she lifted her head and sat back on her legs. Slowly blue eyes opened to take in the surroundings she saw around her. What they took in sickened even her warrior hardened mind.

Here was her most dire enemy destroyed in a way even she would not have been able to fully carry out. His face was the only recognisable part of him…the rest was a sticky red mess around him. He was hanging from a strange metal contraption suspended from a ceiling girder. The thing itself consisted of a back pole to which its unfortunate victim was locked into with padlocks of heavy steel. Two wing shapes where spread above him as if he where an angel…apart from the grizzly trophies that they held on each end of the 'wings'. From the ends hung thin metal rods that looked similar to ribs…and attached to them where Mr. Brandywines ribcage, chains where attached to his head tearing the hair from his scalp and through his legs ripping at flesh. Selene covered her mouth and threw herself to her feet rushing outside to kneel on the floor. "My god that's sick!" she managed to cough through dry retches. She pulled herself up and let out a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding. "Come on girl you've seen worse…you've been through worse. At least he was dead probably instantly." She turned around to find two pairs of eyes looking inquisitively at her.

The two horses where looking at her while munching on the grass. D's horse seemed to jump and quickly returned to its lunch nervously. Isatsis stared at her and seemed to roll his eyes before returning to his food. She knew what that look meant and fingered her eye teeth carefully. They had grown long and sharp during her sleep. Carefully she walked over to her horse who understood her condition better than anyone else. He also knew that in the condition she was in she would probably just a quickly bite him as another person. As she moved towards him she kept her movements slow and methodical so as not to present a threat to her steed. Although the two of them where fiercely loyal to each other there where moments in their lives that they where the most dangerous thing to the other in the world. They both sported scars from the other and it was often just a mistake on the others behalf.

Isatsis lifted his head again and stared her straight tin the eye daring her to make a move against him. He pulled back his upper lips to reveal his sharp teeth beneath and let out a low wolf like snarl. The horse next to him heard the noise and shied away snorting and trying to pull its head free of the collar that controlled it movement. Selene caught sent of the creature and its panic pulled back as far away from it as she could so as not to be overtaken by the hunter inside her. She knelt low on the ground abasing herself before the two horses in front of her. Isatsis took this as a good sign and stopped his odd snarl. D's beast stopped its pull but kept its distance from the larger, apparently scarier horse. Selene looked up into her horses eyes again and smiled. "You are such a daft creature at times." She snarled through closed teeth. "You know that wouldn't have happened had you just pointed out what you noticed first." He tilted his head in mock questioning at her and her smile turned into a thin angry line. "Don't play that game with me beast!" she picked herself up from the position of danger and into a crouch that meant danger to anyone that saw it. "Tell me what you saw." Isatsis threw his head up into the air and let out a snorted laughter. She jumped at him then landing hard against his throat knocking him to the floor.

D's horse suddenly gained courage and reared up to flail its legs dangerously close to her head. Selene dodged sideways and rolled away from the horses. The cyborg horse caught its foreleg on the tether holding it and pulled snapping the fragile rope. Fear finally gripped hold of her when she stared into the eyes of the horse. Isatsis poured the ground frantically trying to right him self from the fall he had just taken while lashing out with his cloven hooves. D's horse stared at the two of them with eyes that where not its own.

Its form was now hideously twisted in an odd manner. Its mouth had twisted and moved up to the side of its face and was more a gapping hole with gore seeping out of it instead of a mouth. Teeth grew out and around the mangled hole and seemed to be warped into a sickening grin. Its eyes where still in the same place but slanted and oozing pus from the tear ducts. Its skin had become diseased and brown in the instant that the two of them had taken their eyes from it. The rest of its body seemed just to be all sharp edges and evil weapons. It reminded the two creatures before it of something all too familiar in their past. Something they really wished that they could forget.

Selene stood up quickly all of her 'special' abilities opening wide as panic seized her body and mind. Out of instinct and experience she knew that the creature would focus on only one of them…which ever one happened to be running or moving. Isatsis tied the way he was would be no real sport for the animal that now stood before her she was its only target. And there was only one place near here that she could deal with it. Turning towards her horse she gave apologetic eyes and fled into the deep underbrush…she had to out run it.

D woke not long after true night fell and the heat syndrome had passed from his body. He looked around himself and marvelled at the lights above his head. They seemed to be on a time switch as he hadn't touched the switch that was placed on the wall by the large entrance doors. They where a translucent green that gave the place an eerie yet comforting glow. He had no idea who the true occupants of this house where but they had either money or taste. Smiling now her reached up to his swords handle and grasped it firmly. With a slight flex of his muscles and the movement of him standing the blade slid free easily. She obviously had thought that he would leave…or maybe she had another plan? He didn't care nor did he wish to find out. All he wanted to do now was to find his quarry and his employer. Maybe she would have done as she had said she would do and 'taken care' of the problem. He was distracted slightly in his walk by a faint tingling in his left hand.

"So you're awake," he said in a moment of uncharacteristically socialism.

"Yeah," the gravely voice replied, "but there is something bugging me about the air tonight." D stooped in his paces willing to listen to the parasite if only for a moment. "Something not very nice is stirring in the air at the minute. It's something old…and dangerous."

"What has brought it here?"

"How am I supposed to know I can only sense it?"D did not reply to the sarcastic remark and walked over the door placing a hand on the door knob. Just as his fingertips brushed its surface there was a thud against the door as if something large had just hit it. Removing his hand carefully away he aimed his weapon at the hinges of the large piece of wood blocking him from the outside world. He had no doubt about what would happen if that thing got in here. Although the room was large it was specifically designed to stop intruders being able to fight well unless they knew the layout well. Although D had been studying the room for a bout an hour now he knew that even with his skills he could not reasonably fight anything well in here.

Before he could even swing his blade another larger object slammed into the wood causing it to buckle and bend. The thing screamed and even through the wood D had to drop to his knees and cover his ears. It felt like thousands of tiny silver needles piercing his eardrums at every millionth of a second. It wasn't long though before he adjusted himself to the noise and stood back up.

Selene rolled away as quickly as she could to get from beneath the creatures large feet. She cursed as loudly and with as many swearwords in as many different languages as she could remember. It wasn't one of her best days she had decided. Maybe it would have been best if she had just stayed in bed this morning. Still she had a funny feeling she would be dead already if she had stayed there impaled on D's sword instead of the hooves of this overgrown monstrosity. "Not much difference there then." she yipped as she rolled away again from the creatures flailing legs.

On their run through the woods back to her home she had become very aware that its screams no longer affected her. She had also noticed that the screaming meant something. It meant that yet another part of the horse was dieing horribly and another piece of the monster was appearing. Not just its face was affected now, so was its body. It was twisted beyond all recognition no longer even anywhere near that of a horse. It was that of a large cat and the herd animal it had once been wound together until the skin and muscles had torn and frayed into something almost zombie like. She knew all too well though that it was alive and was a lot easier to kill that a zombie…if you had the right equipment. Hers was currently in a lock up the other side of her office behind the bookcase with the old teddy bear in it. Rather life threateningly she had lost the key to the locked front door on her mad dash away from Mr. Brandywines death scene.

A crash from behind her where she had just fled from caused her to turn around and narrowly miss a flailing piece of sharp mane. Silently she thanked whoever had made the noise and raced back towards the now open door. What she had forgotten was that D had been in the reception area and he was the one that had opened the door and was now standing in the shadows with his sword drawn. Luckily he was still recovering from the after effects of the creatures screams. She did finally see him as he stood up and readied his sword squarely at her chest.

She let out a chocked scream of frustration and darted backwards away from him and towards the horse behind her. It too let out its own scream as she tumbled into it taking out its two front legs. The two noises joined into one rising catcall of curses and screeching as D approached the pile of limbs. Selene struggled as the pieces of now fully warped mane wound around her. Sharp suckers dug into her trying to tie her down in one place so that the creature could try to eat her. Instincts mixed with memory of these things caused her to scratch at the tentacle like pieces and kicked as hard as she could. Her foot connected with something hard and she found herself tumbling head over heels away from the creature and its grip. When she finally came out of the roll she had somehow put herself into the object she had kicked was in her hand and glittering with a faint blue light. She realised with a dull fascination that it was her sword. "Now why didn't I realise I had you before?" she asked herself while jumping away from the creature as it charged her.

"Was it because you where too busy panicking," was D's reply as he turned to the creature and sliced deep into its neck. Hot blood gushed from the wound as the creature reared up in pain knocking the beautiful hunter backwards away from it, "What is this thing?"

"Well it was your horse." Selene yelled over her shoulder as she raced for the entrance to the reception. "Keep it busy while I get something." D spun on his heels trying to catch up with the woman but the beast that had once been his horse kicked its now elongated hind legs towards him. There was it seemed no way that the ex-horse was going to let him go.

Selene ran as fast as her legs could carry her into the small room that D had found her in earlier. A quick scan of the room confirmed that everything was left in the places she had put them in. It seemed strange to her that even though her body was panicking her mind was telling her to see if things where still in place…had the hunter moved anything? Turning to the particular case she was looking for she moved to its side and took a deep breath. If she even made one wrong move near this case she would be lying dead or dying on the floor with a six inch silver needle sticking into the side of her throat. Trying to calm her frayed nerves she settled herself onto her haunches and started her work.

Meanwhile D was moving fast and making his blade work just a quick. Still every cut that he put into the beasts body seemed to either heal instantly or to have no effect on the creature's constitution. Any other being, alive or dead that he knew of would have fallen by now to a lack of blood or the severity of their wounds or at least its prowess in battle would have ebbed enough for him to dispatch the creature. This one seemed more and more enraged with every slender cut made to it and more power seemed to course through its twisted body with every hit.

"What is this thing?" his hand screamed in terror. A black shadow darted past D incredibly quick causing his cloak and hair to move as if whipped by a wind. He thought for a moment that it was another attacker and twisted to try and hit the thing as it darted past. A low angry hiss met the metal as it hit something but it didn't slice flesh he could tell. There was a low growl and then three long blades swiped at his head.

"Keep from this fight Hunter. It is not yours to bear." A voice that was Selene's but not issued from the mouth of the dark figure now standing before him. It was the woman he had seen before but not so as well. Her hair normally the dark brown of his own was now black as darkest night, her eyes glittered with the red thirst he had seen in so many other vampires. She was beautiful even more so than when he had first seen her. The nails on her hands had grown considerably and the edges glinted with the hint of a barely concealed knife edge. From her wrists where attached large blade like contraption that could swing backwards and forwards at will or so it seemed. She smiled at him revealing pearly white teeth in what looked like an invite to death. "I'll not say it again. This is not your fight." The creature had fallen back snarling and keening at the sky as she cornered it towards the stables behind it. "I have a friend I would like you to meet." She let out a high pitched whistle and Isatsis charged through the undergrowth to her side.

"For years you have chased me." She spoke with a soft barely veiled threat, "For years I have run for the sake of those I care for. Now I suggest you stop using some poor animal to do you work and face me." The horse let out a dieing shriek as a foul smelling green gas flew from its mouth causing frothy red blood to foam at its mouth. What took its place was something that looked all too similar to a ghost. Isatsis reared up and danced on his hind legs while Selene ducked into a low battle stance. "You know it's been a little too long since all of us let go of our inhibitions and killed something similar." She grinned and the two leapt at each other into battle.

Author's notes: Ok so this chapter is a little odd…but it's better than the original chapter 3 ever could be. Enjoy and I will try to get another chapter up as quickly as my fingers and work schedule allow.


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